Florida Bills Fanatic

I was at both of the games also. A guy and his wife from LA had seats beside me. They left before the first quarter was half over. People in our row had a good laugh at their expense. I remember Bruce out there for pregame warm up in a tee shirt. I think it freaked the Raiders out. Many people at both games were able to smuggle cans of beer into the stadium because of all of the layers of heavy clothing. I also remember that taking a leak wearing multiple layers was a pain. Great time and great memories.

Whaley was a train wreck from day one. He didn't miss on every move but he missed on enough to show everyone in the league that he was not a capable GM. He had apparently functioned well in lesser positions in personnel departments but was unfortunately promoted to a level for which he was incapable or unprepared or both. He was not a bad guy, in fact he had a reputation for being a very good person. I believe he felt a desperate need to turn things around fast and took some gambles that didn't pay off. On more than one occasion, he apparently disregarded advice from the scouting department and made moves on some players that turned out poorly. I think he felt that he had better skill at evaluating players than long term scouts that had been part of Buffalo's long standing struggles. I for one am happy to move on and not dwell on past failures. I think Karlos Williams should look in a mirror to find the guy to criticize and leave Doug Whaley alone.

I agree with you. He's a faster version of a young Randall Cobb. He's a versatile player that can play in the slot or outside. He can go deep and is a good YAC guy on shorter routes. I don't expect him to be around at pick 54 but he would be a great value there. I'm not sure that Beane will be locked into any particular position on day two. He'll be looking for value that will improve the roster. IMHO he'll be looking for guys that fall and for whom he has a higher draft grade than where they are available. In the past, this has prompted him to trade up.

And the thebandit27 drops the mic....boom!

He may end up in Jacksonville after the draft and when the travel ban is lifted. Most people think it will be the Chargers but they are in position to get one of the top three QB's in the draft. They will use Tyrod until the new guy is ready. Jacksonville is not in position to get one of the top guys and has many holes to fill in the draft. They have a coaching staff that is hanging on by a thread and Minshew will likely get them all fired. In addition, for a team that has trouble selling seats (I know because I've been to several games there) think of the draw that Newton would be for them. In addition, they were able to get out of the terrible Foles contract and free up cap money to get a better QB on the roster. Newton would probably see it as an opportunity to get back at Carolina twice a season. It makes too much sense for it not to happen. If Carolina hadn't stuck it to him, the Bears or Raiders could have been logical landing spots. If none of this plays out, a healthy Newton will be the first guy sought out when a good team loses their starting QB.

Go back and watch some of Newton's antics on the sidelines when things weren't going his way or maybe some of his press conference performances after losses. Hardly the actions of a positive leader. It always seemed that Newton was constantly striving to make everything be about him. There is a reason that Carolina let him walk and it was more than just injuries. If you were a GM of a team and knew you had a player as good as Cam Newton had been, wouldn't you give him the chance to completely recover from his surgeries before deciding to cut him loose? Wouldn't you want to see how he looked in training camp before deciding you were through with him? Wouldn't you want to show other teams that he was still a very capable player so you could create some trade value? Carolina didn't because they decided he wasn't worth the time, money or the effort of the organization and they didn't want him around. It almost seemed to me that Cam's late release was done vindictively, indicating to me that they were unhappy with him. All of the decent signing opportunities and pay opportunities were filled. That isn't the way organizations part company with a player on good terms. Carolina really stuck it to him. I for one have never had a problem with Newton talking trash or doing his Superman thing. In fact when I think of the big trash talkers in the league, Newton doesn't even come to mind. Since you brought it up, Rivers talking trash is pathetic. With his level of poor on field play, he shouldn't be talking trash to anyone. As far as Newton being a problem in a Bills locker room, I believe it would be inevitable. Newton has a diva type personality. Beane has shown through the players that he has drafted or signed that he doesn't want that kind of influence on the team. He has stacked the roster with players that go about their jobs without a lot of fanfare and act professionally. I believe Newton will be starting games before the end of the season. It will probably take a season ending injury to a QB on a team that has a chance to make the playoffs. When that happens, he'll probably be the first guy that is sought out. I also expect that he will play well as long as he is healthy.

It would be a cap killing move and would hurt the culture in the locker room. Beane has seen Newton in person and knows the risks.

Very seldom do teams go through an entire season without having receivers injured and missing games. Good teams have a 4th WR that can play at a high level. Buffalo does not have that kind of 4th WR. Beasley and Brown are both 30 years old and are not the answer to the long term needs of a consistently competitive team. With this being a very deep draft with really good talented players, it may be the only opportunity for a long time to draft a player with first round skills with a day two pick. When you combine all of this with the fact that there really aren't any glaring holes in the roster, it's easy to see why the Bills go WR on day two, if they choose to do that.

Good question. I remember reading something about this a few years ago. I think they discuss diagrammed plays and question players about the appropriate reads and adjustments to determine their knowledge of the game. They also ask things to try to determine personality traits and patterns of behavior. They are also looking to determine the ability to learn quickly and to communicate effectively. In general, they are trying to make sure the guy is not a box of rocks and/or a pain in the rear end.

The best way to get Gilmore off his game is to make him come up and play the run early and often. He does not like heavy contact and has a tendency to back off after taking some hits. He did this in Buffalo and he has done it at times in NE. He is a good player but has shown that he can be beat. I can't wait to see real game action with Gilmore and Diggs on the field.

He's a really good player but benefited from Cooks and Woods pulling a lot of the coverage. He seldom faces the top corner from the opposition and works primarily out of the slot. He isn't the same type of player as Diggs. Kupp isn't a guy that can stretch the field or command double coverage. Comparing him to Diggs is like comparing apples and oranges. Even with all of that said, I'd be really excited if the Bills could add a player like Kupp to the roster. He doesn't drop passes, blocks in the run game, and makes good plays with the ball in his hands.

That was small beans compared to Charlie Romes dropping an interception on the Bengals drive that resulted in the game winning score. UGH...

Excellent analysis. It appears that it takes one to know one. Cowboys continue to be a mess and Wrecks......is well, a wreck.

D-bag is too distinguished for the little crap bag...but I do appreciate your gentile analysis.

Walker has been a very good player and an even better guy in the locker room and community. IMHO his best days are behind him and it would be a waste of a roster spot to carry him into training camp. There is no need to do this. It appears to me that Beane believes that the team is set in the TE position group.

duh!

I tend to agree with you. There are two things we can't predict. First, we don't know if there is someone that Beane really really wants that gets within his range to make a trade in any round at any reasonable price. Secondly, we don't know if there is a position group that Beane feels a need to have talent added to it. This could happen if there is a run in the draft with a limited number of decent prospects, like DE.

I have negotiated many labor contracts for a large corporation. Language changes that someone decides to add after a ratification vote has taken place are not part of the contract. The original language as signed off by the parties is the only valid and binding contract between the parties. A later version with language added after the ratification vote is not a valid contract but it does NOT invalidate the original contract that was ratified by the NFLPA rank and file vote and accepted by the league owners. The foregoing would also apply to secret documents or agreements made between the parties but not made a direct part of the contract. If people believe that they can enforce post ratification changes or invalidate the original contract language, they are dreaming. If the NFLPA provided inaccurate materials or falsified information to their members for consideration during their vote, the union could be facing future charges for violation of the National Labor Relations Act. Attorneys involved in this type of action will likely have problems with their respective bar associations. Without seeing the exact documents and having all of the details, it is difficult to know how valid any of these claims are. But I can say with certainty, this all reeks of incompetency within the NFLPA. Attorneys will smell blood, drag this into court, prolong the arguments over this, and burn up millions of dollars. Television contracts will not likely be negotiated if this issue is still hanging out there.

Thank you Nostradamus! How about my investment portfolio? Any absolute insight on that?.....lol

Beane makes John Dillinger look like a piker. He robbed them blind on that deal.

I don't think you started a dumb post. It's good to think about the situation facing Beane so that we understand his options and don't bounce off the walls crazy when he adds a particular RB in the draft. In recent years, coaches have come to recognize that it is highly improbable that a single RB will hold up physically to the full season long load of a typical NFL offense. They also recognize that the second guy better be very capable and not just a guy. The offense can't collapse if one guy is injured. Teams also understand that it is really good if the second guy is not a complete clone of the first guy. That's why we see teams with a power guy paired with a back that is more elusive. On the best teams, they make sure that both backs can run routes and catch the ball. When the team plays against a team that isn't good against a power running game, they lean on the power back. When they play against a slow or undisciplined defense, the elusive guy may carry most of the load. I think about the approach of the 49ers, Houston, Cleveland, and Chargers last season. I'd be okay if Beane creates a talented two back rotation as long as they are effective. Thanks for starting the discussion.

The wild card in all of this is the Chargers. They are the team that has the most to lose by not getting one of the top three QB's. If they believe that a third team plans to select a QB before their pick at six, they may sell the farm to get ahead of Miami. They will not plan to play an entire season with Tyrod in a new stadium when they are trying to build a fan base. It's not important what Detroit and Washington are actually planning to do at picks 2 and 3. It's important what the Chargers believe they are going to do with those picks. Detroit has a QB recovering from a back injury and Haskins looked lost in his first season. You can make a reasonable case for either of these teams making a QB selection. Detroit and the Giants have made it known that they are open to trade back. There are other teams that have less than an ideal long term QB situation. The Raiders, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and New England could be long shots to make a move but the Chargers may not want to leave the door open for them either. I wouldn't be shocked by any of these teams making a move to shuffle the top five draft order. I will be shocked if nothing happens and the draft order remains unchanged.

I find it hard to believe that the NFL Network can't find former players that could provide better analysis and communicate that analysis in a professional manner. There are a couple that I think are okay but some are just terrible like Steve Smith. Fortunately, my TV remote has an off button.

Receivers need to do a better job as well. On most plays either the slot guy, the TE, or RB has the responsibility to read the blitz and break off his pattern to create the hot route. When you watch the game film, this did not happen very often. Singletary and Knox being rookies was probably the main cause. If Allen and these other guys can make this minor improvement, the big negative plays will be greatly reduced. Once they show that they can handle this, teams will not blitz as often.

CBS sports continues to be a train wreck. It is difficult to take their articles and reporting seriously. They seem to push ridiculous material to generate readership. I guess that helps them pay the bills. They may also believe that if any of their craziness ever comes true, that they will become recognized as a credible source of sports reporting. That's better than Kiper has done in any year. Maybe ESPN should drop old Mel and sign you to work their draft. You'd be an instant folk hero for life on this board.